Henry Thomas Sorrell died on the Monday after Easter, April 6, 2026, after a long and valiant struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Originally diagnosed in 2014, this disease made itself known quietly in the beginning: lapses in memory here and there, eventually leading to greater concerns with getting lost and not knowing members of his own family. Cherie, his wife of almost 57 years, worked hard at keeping him home. Always independent, with a true love of the outdoors and being active, sitting still was not an option for him. Unfortunately, as the disease progressed, it was no longer possible. The decision to move him into a facility was a difficult one, but as he became increasingly a danger to himself and his spouse, it became the right one. His longtime physician and friend at the Burlington Veterans Administration, Dr. James Rustadt, took charge of the situation and was able to get him admitted to the VA hospital in White River Junction. The staff worked daily with him, extending their kindness and care during his stay.
Henry and Cherie became involved with an Alzheimer’s support group through the years. They were like family. With the help of social services and Age Well, Cherie continued to work at finding a suitable facility for Henry, never anticipating it would be so difficult and so time-consuming. Months went by, and finally a place came into being 100 miles away in the Northeast Kingdom, in the tiny village of Glover. The management and staff at Union House welcomed Henry and settled him in. He made many friends among the staff and residents. He could be found most days on his red walker, covering one end of the building to the other, always smiling and always a friend to everyone he ran into — so typical of Henry. While the distance made things difficult, Cherie made the long drive over and back once a week, knowing she made the right choice. Henry was safe, and he was happy.
In this obituary, Cherie wanted to detail the long, arduous journey that Alzheimer’s presents, not only to the individual but its impact on family members and close friends as well. Everything changes!
Henry’s personal journey lasted 12 long years, to the point where he no longer recognized family members and could no longer write his name or do simple addition.
Now Henry is gone. No longer in pain, no longer in a state of total confusion, and what remains is a sense of relief, as well as guilt, that can’t be put into words and a deep sense of sadness for a bright, intelligent man who did not deserve to die this way.
Henry was born on August 8, 1948, to Leon and Hortense (Myott) Sorrell of Sheldon. Almost exactly one year to the day later, he was joined by a brother, James. The two boys grew up side by side, spending time on their grandparents’ (Myott) farm in Enosburg with lots of their cousins. These were happy days spent ice skating on the pond, sliding down the hills and helping out on the farm. Henry loved talking about these times. Henry, his brother, and his parents moved into a new home in Winooski, where the boys attended high school. Henry graduated from high school in 1966. That fall, he began at Champlain College. It was the Vietnam War era, and Henry wanted to serve his country in the military. He took a deferred enlistment, enabling him to complete college before joining the U.S. Army.
Henry worked part time during high school and college for Merle Wood, who many will remember as the owner of the infamous Country Store, where groceries were a bargain. It was during Henry’s first year of college that he met his wife, Cherie (Tanner), on a blind date. Some things are just meant to be, and this was certainly one of them. She had already started her career in copywriting at WCAX-TV (the local CBS affiliate). Following graduation from college, Henry joined the U.S. Army, not knowing where it would take him. After months of training, he was assigned to a missile site in Sausalito, Calif., just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, thinking they would be there for the rest of his time in the military. However, within a short time frame his entire unit received orders for overseas. Most of them got orders for Vietnam; Henry and a few others headed for a headquarters unit in West Germany, departing the very next month. Given the circumstances, Cherie and Henry moved their wedding up to the end of May, only three weeks away. Somehow, someway, it all came together, and they were married on May 30, 1969, Memorial Day, the only date available at St. Stephens Church in Winooski. A short month later they found themselves living in the beautiful and historic city of Worms, Germany. Here they made many lifelong friends, both German and American.
Henry settled in at his job ordering and maintaining military supplies for all of Europe. He also became a member of the military Honor Guard, practicing weekly on the parade grounds just outside Cherie’s office windows. Cherie had secured a government job as a tour coordinator and event planner for enlisted men and their spouses. This position allowed them to travel all over Germany and Europe: a week in Paris, tulip festival in Holland, Oktoberfest in Munich, taking the train over the Alps to Italy and the night train through East Germany to West Berlin, and so many other adventures.
Two years passed quickly, and Henry’s call to duty was sadly over — back to Vermont in the fall and off to finish his education at the University of Vermont. Cherie began working as a copywriter at an advertising agency on Church Street in Burlington. In February of the following year Cherie found she was pregnant with their first child. Henry needed to leave school and found an accounting position with Lake Champlain Transportation, the ferry boat company.
They welcomed a daughter, Cynthia, in October 1972, and three and a half years later, in 1975, their son Scott was born. Family life began in Jericho.
They eventually built their second home just a mile up the hill, with acreage looking out over Mount Mansfield and the village of Underhill. Here they lived on Orr Road for over 40 years, all while things were beginning to change for both of them. Cherie was now working in continuity and programming for Vermont Public Television, and Henry’s job continued but with a brand-new owner and local businessman, Ray Pecor, who took over the company in 1976.
With it came an exciting new level of responsibilities. As the years continued, the kids graduated from college, and they moved to North Carolina and Hawaii, bringing new travel adventures and challenging careers for both of them. Henry spent 41 years at Lake Champlain Transportation and assumed different many titles during that time. He retired in 2013 as Treasurer and Vice President of the company.
Henry had many interests over the years. He and Cherie were both downhill and cross-country skiers, and Henry loved snowshoeing in the woods behind his property. In the summer, there was lots of mowing across their six acres with his big John Deere tractor. Henry loved all outdoor sports, including horseback riding and the upkeep of two horses for a number of years.
Eventually, Scott got him into Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and Henry decided he wanted to have a Harley of his own. He also loved boating on Lake Champlain with the family. He and Cherie both loved traveling, with many trips to Hawaii to see Scott and to North Carolina to catch up with Cyndi. And above all, Henry loved his job and the people he worked with all those years.
He leaves his wife, Cherie; daughter, Cyndi (Jarvis), and her husband, Chris Jarvis, of North Carolina; and son, Scott, and his wife, Shandy, both formerly of Hawaii and currently residents of Essex Junction, Vt. He also leaves three beloved grandsons, Henry, Colton and Connor; his brother, Jim, and his wife, Ann; a nephew and niece, Justin and Sabreena, all of Indianapolis, Ind.; many Myott and Sorrell cousins; and countless dear friends who were like family.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2026, 11 a.m., at Holy Family Church in Essex Junction, Vt., with Father Charles Ranges presiding. A gathering will be held following the service at the Essex Community Center next door. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Henry’s honor to the Vermont Alzheimer’s Association; the Vermont chapter of Age Well; the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vt.; or the veterans’ medical facility in Burlington, Vt.